Thursday
Feb072013
Obama taps REI chief Sally Jewell for interior secretary
Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 12:00AM 
In what is a huge nod to the economic power of the outdoor recreation industry, REI CEO Sally Jewell has been nominated to succeed Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Interior. If confirmed by the Senate, she will be the first secretary of the interior in nearly 30 years who comes from outside the beltway.
While the choice has been universally praised by outdoor trade groups (including AFFTA) and conservation organizations, some of those who never met a public land they didn't want to exploit are taking a wait and see attitude.
Having worked closely with REI for the last 10 years I can say this is great news for anyone who cares about preserving our public lands.
LINK (via The Washington Post)
tagged REI, sally jewell in Announcements, News
REI, sally jewell in Announcements, News
Reader Comments (6)
Sally Jewel is terrific! I know her from my former banking career. A very thoughtful and wise person, and genuinely nice to boot. She speaks honestly regardless of the politics.
She's also been a corporate banker and an oil executive. But hey we gotta make all those plastic jackets outta something, right?
I think most people who fish do so as a way to relax and find enjoyment. Why can't we have one place to go online to talk and read about fishing and forget the political BS that is happening in Washington. If you want to read the news its easy to find plenty of other sources. My thoughts
I'm glad Chum posts political and environmental updates. If you try and "forget the political BS that is happening in Washington," you're gonna wake up one day and find your favorite trout stream full of sludge and dead fish. For better or worse, the fate of our rivers have everything to do with the Dept of the Interior, because it oversees the lion's share of public land in America, as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service. This is a big deal. Not sure whether Sally J will be good or not, but here's hoping she's an improvement over Salazar, who seems like a hopeless mediocrity when compared to the great secretaries like Stewart Udall, Cecil Andrus, and Bruce Babbitt.
good news...nice to have people in those positions who actually have an interest in the outdoors
@regularguy. my thoughts exactly. thought this blog was a fly fishing blog??